Method and apparatus for quality of experience reporting continuity

Abstract

Various example embodiments relate to method and apparatus for quality of experience reporting continuity. A terminal device may be configured to perform Quality of Experience, QoE, measurement on a service received via a source network device, and upon detection of an indication indicative of a mobility procedure for handing over the terminal device from the source network device to a target network device for the service, transmit, during or after the mobility procedure, to the target network device a buffer status report associated with a buffer for storing one or more QoE measurement reports.

1 . A terminal device comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device at least to:   perform Quality of Experience, QoE, measurement on a service received via a source network device; and   upon detection of an indication indicative of a mobility procedure for handing over the terminal device from the source network device to a target network device for the service, transmit, during or after the mobility procedure, to the target network device a buffer status report associated with a buffer for storing one or more QoE measurement reports.   
     
     
         2 . The terminal device of  claim 1  wherein the indication indicative of the mobility procedure is detected from a handover command when the terminal device is in a connected state or from channel quality measurement when the terminal device is in an idle or inactive state. 
     
     
         3 . The terminal device of  claim 1  wherein the one or more QoE measurement reports are stored in the buffer before timing for transmission of the one or more QoE measurement reports is triggered or when the terminal device receives a QoE reporting pause command from the source network device which indicates the terminal device to pause transmitting the one or more QoE measurement reports to the source network device. 
     
     
         4 . The terminal device of  claim 1  wherein the buffer status report is transmitted to the target network device via an RRC Reconfiguration Complete message, an RRC Connection Resume Request message, an RRC Connection Setup Request message or an RRC Connection Setup Complete message. 
     
     
         5 . The terminal device of  claim 1  wherein the buffer status report comprises at least one of:
 size of the one or more QoE measurement reports stored in the buffer; 
 left space in the buffer; 
 left time before overflow of the buffer; and 
 initial time for the buffer to store the one or more QoE measurement reports. 
 
     
     
         6 . The terminal device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device at least to:
 receive a QoE configuration for the target network device from the source network device or the target network device. 
 
     
     
         7 . The terminal device of  claim 6  wherein the QoE configuration is received via a handover command from the source network device or via an RRC Connection Resume message, an RRC Connection Release with Suspend message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message or an RRC Connection Setup message from the target network device. 
     
     
         8 . The terminal device of  claim 7  wherein the handover command received from the source network device or the RRC Connection Resume message, the RRC Connection Release with Suspend message, the RRC Connection Reconfiguration message or the RRC Connection Setup message received from the target network device further includes a QoE reporting status indication for the terminal device determined at the target network device. 
     
     
         9 . The terminal device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device at least to:
 receive, from the target network device, a QoE reporting request message or QoE reporting resume command indicating to the terminal device to resume transmitting the one or more QoE measurement reports stored in the buffer to the target network device; and 
 transmit the one or more QoE measurement reports stored in the buffer to the target network device, responsive to the received QoE reporting request message or QoE reporting resume command. 
 
     
     
         10 . The terminal device of  claim 1  wherein the QoE reporting request message or QoE reporting resume command is received after transmitting the buffer status report to the target network device. 
     
     
         11 . A network device comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device at least to:   receive from a terminal device a buffer status report associated with a buffer for storing one or more Quality of Experience, QoE, measurement reports, during or after a mobility procedure by which the terminal device hands over from a source network device to the network device, the network device operating as a target network device for the terminal device; and   transmit a QoE reporting request message or QoE reporting resume command to the terminal device, the QoE reporting request message or QoE reporting resume command being determined at least partially based on the received buffer status report.   
     
     
         12 . The network device of  claim 11  wherein the buffer status report is received via an RRC Reconfiguration Complete message, an RRC Connection Resume Request message, an RRC Connection Setup Request message or an RRC Connection Setup Complete message. 
     
     
         13 . The network device of  claim 11  wherein the buffer status report comprises at least one of:
 size of the one or more QoE measurement reports stored in the buffer; 
 left space in the buffer; 
 left time before overflow of the buffer; and 
 initial time for the buffer to store the one or more QoE measurement reports. 
 
     
     
         14 . The network device of  claim 11  wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device at least to:
 transmit a QoE configuration for the terminal device to the terminal device or via the source network device to the terminal device. 
 
     
     
         15 . The network device of  claim 14  wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device at least to:
 receive an old QoE configuration for the terminal device from the source network device, the old QoE configuration being configured by the source network device before the mobility procedure. 
 
     
     
         16 . The network device of  claim 15  wherein the QoE configuration is transmitted via a handover request acknowledgement message to the source network device or via an RRC Connection Resume message, an RRC Connection Release with Suspend message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message or an RRC Connection Setup message to the terminal device, and
 the old QoE configuration for the terminal device is received via a handover request or a retrieve terminal device context response message from the source network device. 
 
     
     
         17 . The network device of  claim 16  wherein the handover request received from the source network device further includes a current QoE reporting status indication for the terminal device, and the handover request acknowledgement message transmitted to the source network device further includes a new QoE reporting status indication determined at the target network device,
 wherein the current QoE reporting status is indicative of whether transmitting the one or more QoE measurement reports is paused for the terminal device by the source network device and the new QoE reporting status is indicative of whether transmitting the one or more QoE measurement reports is paused for the terminal device by the target network device. 
 
     
     
         18 . A method implemented at a terminal device comprising:
 performing Quality of Experience, QoE, measurement on a service received via a source network device; and   upon detection of an indication indicative of a mobility procedure for handing over the terminal device from the source network device to a target network device for the service, transmitting, during or after the mobility procedure, to the target network device a buffer status report associated with a buffer for storing one or more QoE measurement reports.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the indication indicative of the mobility procedure is detected from a handover command when the terminal device is in a connected state or from channel quality measurement when the terminal device is in an idle or inactive state. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the one or more QoE measurement reports are stored in the buffer before timing for transmission of the one or more QoE measurement reports is triggered or when the terminal device receives a QoE reporting pause command from the source network device which indicates the terminal device to pause transmitting the one or more QoE measurement reports to the source network device. 
     
     
         21 - 38 . (canceled)